Exposed | Brian Gaar

By Mikela Floyd

Austin comedian Brian Gaar has every funnyman’s dream job — he gets to say whatever he wants on television. (Well, almost.) At least that’s the idea behind ATX Uncensored-ish, his brand new comedy show airing nightly at 9:45 pm on The CW, combining Austin-inspired man on the street bits with a traditional late night vibe. Described by Gaar as “an Austin version of The Daily Show with much less talented people,” the show (where he’s joined nightly by correspondents Kath Barbadoro and Joe Barlow) will spotlight the Austin comedy scene, with a huge emphasis on the Austin part. And while ATX Uncensored-ish is still very fresh, Gaar hopes that Austinites will really embrace this innovative concept, and help it grow along with the city they call home. Here, TRIBEZA talks to the Austin comedy veteran about his love for comedy, his nearly 90,000 Twitter followers, and why he’ll never live up to Kevin Hart.

WHY LATE NIGHT?

The network really wanted to do something different that wasn’t local news. Comedy is very rare in terms of local television, and they wanted something funny that was late at night so that the content could be edgier. It’s a show about going out and having fun. But most of all, it’s about Austin.

ON BEING “TWITTER FAMOUS”

I think there’s a certain connotation with being “Twitter famous” which is that you’re an Internet personality. I was doing standup long before Twitter, and don’t get me wrong, Twitter’s great – it really helped get me exposure – but I’m funny in real life, too. I think a lot of people get huge Twitter followings, but then they don’t have anything to back it up in reality. So I think Twitter can be great at opening a door, but then it’s like ‘Okay, well, what do you got?’

AUSTIN’S UNIQUE COMEDY SCENE

It’s just incredible. I’ve been doing comedy for seven years, and the Austin scene is at least three times as big as it was when I started. These days, there’s not just an Austin comedy scene, there are little sub-scenes that have sprung up. People are moving to Austin from bigger cities in order to do comedy because they can get more stage time and the city has a reputation for producing good comedy. Scouts come here to look for that talent, and to find people to book on late shows and send to festivals. As a comic, the people surrounding you are so good that they force you to get better. I don’t think a show like this would have been possible anywhere else – we just have this vast reserve of talent to draw from.

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Working on a comedy show is very structured, as I’ve come to realize. It’s much different from stand-up in that onstage, if an idea comes to you – great! But there’s not really a lot of pressure. Here, you need to be creative on a deadline, and that’s a new skill that I’ve had to learn as a comic. But it sure beats having a real job.

BE A PART OF THE SCENE

The show isn’t just about us. Okay, it’s mostly about us, but we want to share the spotlight. At the end of each show, we feature a different stand-up clip from a local comic. ATX Uncensored-ish will host a monthly show at Spider House, which will feature four or five local comics, and we’ll use their clips on the show. They get exposure and we’ll have something funny to play.

WHAT MAKES HIM LAUGH?

Pratfalls and pranks are my favorite. Someone slipping and falling is —and will always be — hilarious to me. But I also like humor that is very honest about life, almost like jewels of funny wisdom. I appreciate that comedy helps make sense out of things, and helps people realize that they’re not alone. But my dad’s favorite comic is Kevin Hart. Whenever something good happens to me, I’ll call him up and say, ‘Hey dad, I got this show!’ He’ll say, ‘That’s great! But did you see Kevin Hart last night on Jimmy Fallon?’ I’ll never live up.

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY

As the warm weather begins to set in and patio parties hit our calendars, we can’t help but embrace that summertime has returned to Austin. If you’re anything like us, you’ll be celebrating the return of the season with decadent ice cream, healthy smoothies and icy cocktails from your favorite local spots.

For those days when it’s too hot to venture out, we went to Austin’s sweet treat professionals and compiled the ultimate collection of DIY recipes to make from your home. Click through the galleries below to learn how to make everything icy and sweet, from poptails for date night to ice cream sandwiches for a dinner party.

The spring edition of the Renegade Craft Fair returns for its seventh year in Austin May 14-15 at Fair Market. With over 125 makers on the roster, the scene is sure to be bustling with local artisans and DIYers slinging their unique, one-of-a-kind wares. In addition to great shopping, the RCF offers activities, special showcases and plenty of food and drink options for visitors. This year, celebrate your hard work shopping with a snack from Burro Cheese Kitchen and Lucky Lab Coffee Co. before commemorating the afternoon with some snapshots from Magnolia Photo Booth Co. But before...

Inspired by the beautiful outdoor living spaces featured in our May feature The Space Between, we went window shopping and found some great outdoor furniture and accessories to liven up your outdoor patio, porch and pool. Flip through the galleries below to see how you can add a pop of color and style to your outdoor hideaway.

Hundreds of people are moving to Austin each day, and downtown is one of the major hubs of growth for the city. Local real estate expert Jude Galligan discusses smart urban growth and what to expect this year as the skyline continues to evolve.

Your blog keeps Austin updated on the latest news in downtown. What is the most exciting development happening right now?

From my point of view, the most exciting development is the Waller Creek District Master Plan. Decades in the making, this transformative project came to life after designers competed for the contract. It is finally coming to downtown, bringing an imaginative chain of parks,...

Instead of letting all that inspiration go to waste, we tried our hand at flower arranging to see what we could create. Since we consider ourselves floral design novices, we asked a few top designers...